Achillea plant named ‘Peter Cottontail’

ABSTRACT

The new and distinct Yarrow plant named  Achillea  ‘Peter Cottontail’, dense mounded habit, of upright heavily branched stems of medium height; linear, serrate, slightly-glossy, deep-green leaves; heavy flowering of white, predominately sterile flowers in large heads averaging over 100 florets per head beginning in mid-June and continuing for nearly seven weeks. The new plant is useful as a specimen landscape plant, mass planting or cut flower in arrangements.

Botanical designation: Achillea ptarmica.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Peter Cottontail’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(b)(6)

The first public disclosure of the claimed plant, in the form of a sale,was made by Walters Gardens, Inc. on Jul. 9, 2018. Prior to that, onFeb. 1, 2018 the claimed plant was displayed as a photograph and briefnon-enabling description on a website maintained by Walters Gardens,Inc., who obtained the plant and all information relating thereto, fromthe inventor. No plants of Achillea ‘Peter Cottontail’ have been sold,in this country or anywhere in the world, nor has any disclosure of thenew plant been made, more than one year prior the filing date of thisapplication, and such sale or disclosure within one year. was eitherderived directly or indirectly from the inventor.

BACKGROUND OF THE PLANT

The present invention relates to the new and distinct yarrow herein alsoreferred to as Achillea ‘Peter Cottontail’, by the cultivar name, ‘PeterCottontail’, or as the new plant. The new plant was the result of across by the inventor between H10-01 (not patented) and H10-02 (notpatented) on Jun. 23, 2014 and harvested in September of 2014. The newplant is a single seedling selection among several in that crossidentified by the breeder code 14-73-2 through the trial process.

Asexual propagation at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA bycuttings has shown ‘Peter Cottontail’ to be stable and reproduce true totype in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Achillea ‘Peter Cottontail’ has not been observed in all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary slightly with changesin environments such as light intensity, fertility, water availability,etc. without, however any variation in genotype.

Achillea ‘Peter Cottontail’ is distinct from all cultivars known to theinventor in the following combined traits:

-   -   1. Dense mounded habit of upright stems with medium height.    -   2. Linear, serrate, slightly glossy leaves of deep green.    -   3. Heavily-branched flower stems cover plant in white,        predominately sterile, large flower heads during peak flowering.    -   4. Heavy flowering of white, predominantly sterile flowers in        large heads.    -   5. Long flowering period beginning in mid-June and continuing        for nearly seven weeks.

Plants of Achillea ‘Peter Cottontail’ are most similar to ‘Gipi Whit’U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,120, ‘The Pearl’ (not patented) and ‘Noblessa’(not patented). ‘Gipi Whit’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,120 has a smallerhabit of less than half of that of the new plant and fewerinflorescences per stem and per plant. ‘The Pearl’ has less doubling ofthe flower, fewer florets per capitulum, and is less compact than thenew plant. ‘Noblessa’ is shorter and narrower in habit and tends to beless double in flower. ‘Ballerina’ (not patented) is a seed group thattends to produce more fertile flowers with smaller flower heads, fewerflorets per capitulum, and slightly shorter habit. ‘Double Diamond’ (notpatented) is a seed group that tends to be taller in habit and producemore fertile flowers. ‘Peter Cottontail’ has broader flower petals thanall of the above comparison varieties known to the inventor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The color drawings illustrate the overall characteristics of Achillea‘Peter Cottontail’ as a three-year-old plant in a full-sun trial gardenin Zeeland, Mich. The colors are as true as reasonably possible giventhe technology available. The color values may vary slightly dependingon light intensity and quality.

FIG. 1 shows the new plant in a landscape environment.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flowers of the new plant.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following description is based on a three-year-old plant growing ina full-sun trial garden in Zeeland, Mich., USA. Environmental conditionsfor the growing season daytime temperatures range between 12-30° C., andnight temperatures range between 6-19° C. Except for ordinary dictionarycolor usage, color references are according to The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart, 2015 edition.

-   Parentage: Female or seed parent is H10-01; male or pollen parent is    H10-02; both parents are self-seedlings selections from ‘Noblessa’;-   Asexual propagation: Cuttings, about 10 to 14 days to initiate    roots; time to finish as from a 25 mm plug to a 3.8 liter container    about 2 months;-   Plant habit: Rounded, herbaceous perennial mound with thirty stems    and compound branching beginning at base; up to 102.0 cm wide and    54.0 cm tall; average about 90.0 cm across and about 52.0 cm tall;-   Stems: Cylindrical to slightly angular; upright with compound    branching at every node; to 52.0 cm long and 7.0 mm diameter at    base;-   Internodes: About 17 nodes per stem before flowers; average about    19.0 mm apart; node color same as surround stem;-   Stem color: Nearest RHS 146A;-   Leaves: Alternate; linear; glabrous; acute apex; base attenuate;    sessile; margin serrate; lustrous adaxial, matte abaxial; up to 5.8    cm long and 7.0 mm wide with teeth about 1.0 mm apart and 0.5 mm    long;-   Leaf color: Young expanding leaves adaxial nearest RHS 146B and    abaxial between RHS 146B and RHS 146C; mature leaves adaxial nearest    RHS 139A, abaxial nearest RHS 137B;-   Veins: Pinnate; only abaxial midrib obvious; secondary adaxial and    abaxial indistinct;-   Adaxial midrib color: Nearest RHS 152A, distally becoming nearest    RHS NN137A;-   Abaxial midrib color: Nearest RHS 146D toward base, distally    becoming nearest RHS NN137A;-   Inflorescence: Radiate; capitate; composite consisting of ray    florets; on terminal branches; about 16.0 mm diameter, about 12.0 mm    tall from lower involucral bracts to top of disk florets; attitude    upright to outwardly; disk about 7.0 mm across;-   Inflorescence fragrance: Not detected;-   Phyllaries: About 20 in two to three rows; lanceolate to deltoid;    acute apex; truncate base; ciliolate margin; adaxial and abaxial    glabrous; to about 4.5 mm long and 2.5 mm wide at base; inner or    upper set tight against ray petals, usually eight in number, about    4.0 mm long and about 1.5 mm wide, deltoid to ovate; acute apex and    truncate base,-   Phyllary color: Adaxial and abaxial center nearest RHS 137A, margins    translucent to nearest RHS 155B;-   Flowering period: Beginning mid-June in Michigan and continuing for    about 7 weeks; producing up to about 200 inflorescences per stem and    1000 flowers per plant at one time;-   Flower longevity: 6 to 8 days;-   Flower buds: With ray florets still erect 15.0 mm wide and 8.0 mm    tall, 6.0 mm across capitulum;-   Flower bud color: Center ray florets while still upright nearest RHS    8C, perimeter florets nearest RHS 155D; phyllaries nearest RHS 137A;-   Peduncle: Cylindrical; glaucous, thin, wiry, upright attitude,    strong; about 1.5 mm wide at base and between 1.2 cm and 4.1 cm    long;-   Peduncle color: Nearest RHS NN137A;-   Ray florets: Ligulate; imperfect; staminate; average about 110 per    inflorescence;-   Ray floret ligule: Oblong elongate; apex tri-lobed, lobe apices    rounded; margin entire; base claw, narrowly cuneate to attenuate;    opening flat to angled 90° between claw and blade; parallel veined;    glabrous adaxial and adaxial; lobes about 0.3 mm long and 1.0 mm    wide, blade about 5.5 mm long and about 4.0 mm wide; basal claw    about 3.0 mm long and about 0.7 mm diameter;-   Ray floret ligule color: Adaxial and abaxial distally nearest RHS    NN155; adaxial and abaxial base nearest RHS 147D;    -   -   Gynoecium.—Single; about 3.5 mm long.        -   Style.—Cylindrical; about 2.0 mm long and less than 0.2 mm            diameter; color nearest RHS 155D.        -   Stigma.—Bifid; about 1.0 mm long and 0.2 mm diameter; curled            around 180 degrees in distal 1.0 mm; color nearest RHS 155D.        -   Ovary.—Inferior; globose; about 1.0 mm long and 1.0 mm            across; color between RHS 155B and RHS 155A.-   Disk florets: Rare; average less than 2 per capitulum; consisting of    tepals, staminal tube and pistil; size about 6.0 mm long by 1.0 mm    wide at apex;-   Staminal tube: Consisting of five fused tepals;-   Tepals: About 2.0 mm long; acute apices; fused into tube in basal    1.0 mm; color abaxial and adaxial nearest RHS 157D;-   Androecium: Rare;    -   -   Filament.—(When present) cylindrical; about 0.5 mm long and            less than 0.2 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 11D.        -   Anther.—(When present) connate; basifixed; longitudinal;            about 1.0 mm long and 0.5 mm across; color nearest RHS 14B.        -   Pollen.—(When present) color nearest RHS 14B.        -   Ray floret ligule color.—Adaxial and abaxial distally            nearest RHS NN155; adaxial and abaxial base nearest RHS            147D.-   Seed: Not observed;

Achillea ‘Peter Cottontail’ is tolerant of winter temperatures as low as−35° C. and summer temperatures as high as 40° C. Once established it isalso tolerant of dry summer conditions but does best with ample moistureand good drainage. It is not known to be tolerant of diseases and pestthat are common to other Yarrow cultivars.

I claim:
 1. The new and distinct cultivar of Yarrow plant named Achillea‘Peter Cottontail’ as herein described and illustrated.